Weft-replenishing loom.



Patented Jan. 28, I902.

H. l. HARRIMA N. WEFT REPLENISHING LODNI.

(Application fl1ed.0ct. 2, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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- No. 692,138. Patented Jan. 28, I902.

H. I. HARBIMAN.

WEFT REPLENISHING LUOM.

(Applicatinn filed Oct. 2, 1901.) (Ilo Modal.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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S. WWW

n4: nomus PLTERS 00.. PHOTD-LIWQ. WASHINGTON o. c

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIENRYI. I-IARRIMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LOOM COMPANY, OF READVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 692,138, dated January 28, 1902.

Application filed October 2,1901. Serial No. 77,285. .No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 4. The picker-stick at the change end of the k Be it known that I, HENRY I. HARRIMAN,a loom is shown at and the corresponding citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New picker at 5.

York, in the county of New York, State of In carrying my invention into efiect I em- 5 New York, have invented a certainnew and ploy a multiple-celled shifting shuttle-box 6. useful'lmprovement in VVeft- Replenishing The said shuttle-box may in practice vary in Looms, of which the following is a specificaits construction and in the manner in which tion, reference being had therein to the acit is mounted and arranged to be moved. companying drawings. Preferably, though not necessarily, in all em- IO The invention has relation to the mechanbodiments of the invent-ion it is fitted to slide ism which is employed in looms for the purverticallyin guideways 6 6on the outwardlypose of replenishing automatically the weft projecting part ofthe lay at the change end or filling that is being incorporated into the of the loom and is connected with the upper web or fabric being woven. end of a box-rod 6 which latter at its lower 6 I5 More especially the invention relates to end passes through a hole in a plate or stand mechanism of the general kind in which re- 6, carried by the lay rock-shaft 3 The shutplenishment of the working weft-supplyiseftle-box 6 has a working cell, which normally fected by replacing the spent or failed workstands in line with the shuttle-race of the lay, ing shuttle on the lay by a reserve shuttle. and a spare cell. In the present case the 2c The invention consists in variousimprovelower cell of the said shuttle-box is the workments in mechanism such as is referred to ing cell and the upper one is the spare cell. above, and first will be described with refer- In connection with the shifting shuttle-box I once to the accompanying drawings, in which provide actuating means whereby in order to latter the said improvements are shown emefiect replenishment of the working weft-sup- 25 bodied in the best forms yet devised by me. ply the shuttle-box is shifted for the purpose In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in perspecof efiect-ing the discharge of the working shuttive the invention applied to part of a loom, tle and bringing a reserve shuttle into action the shuttle chute and receptacle being omitand then is returned to normal position. The ted. Fig. 2 is a perspective of a portion of means and manner of efiecting the actuation 0 what is represented in Fig. 1, omitting, howof the shuttle-boxin the attainment of the deever, the upper part of the magazine for resired results may vary in practice. Preferserve shuttles and showing the shuttle chute ably I arrange to support the shuttle-box in and receptacle. Fig. 3' is a sectional view its normal position (shown in Fig. 3) in a showing the parts positioned as during the yieldingmanner through the employment of 35 normal working of theloom. Fig. 42IS a view a spring or its equivalent. Usually for this similar to Fig. 3, showing the action in etfectpurpose I employ a spiral spring 6, surrounding a change of shuttles. Fig. 5 shows a ing the lower portion of the box-rod 6" and modification. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing compressed between a collar 6 on the said the fixed cam for pushing the outer end of the box-rod and the top of the plate orstand 6. 0

4o shuttle from the working cell of the shuttle- When-it is required to shift the shuttle-box box during the movement of the said shuttleto efiect the change of shuttles, the shuttle box. Fig. 7 is a detail view, in vertical secbox is depressed by the means which is protion, showing the shuttle-box, shuttle-supvided for the purpose, the spring yielding to port, and adjacent parts. permit the depression to take place, after 3 5 Having reference to the drawings, aportion which the spring operates to restore the shutof one side frame of a loom is shown at 1. tlebox toits normal position. Theillustrated The breast-beam is designated 2, only a pormeans of depressing the shuttle-box may be tion thereof being shown. A portion of the employed, if desired. The said means comlay is shown at 3, one of the lay-swords being prises an actuator 7, the latter being pivot- I00 50 indicated" at 3 and the lay rock-shaft at 3 ally connected, as at 71, to one arm of a le- Part of the cam-shaft of the loom is shown at ver 72. The said lever is pivoted at 73 upon a bracket or stand 74, which is affixed to the loom-frame and is provided with an antifriction-roll 75, hearing against the periphery of a cam 76 upon the cam-shaft 4 of the loom. A'suitable spring, as at 77, Figs. 1 and 2, is

caused to engage said lever 72 and actuate the same in opposition to the cam 76, the said spring holding the roll pressed against the surface of the said cam. The actuator7 ordinarily reciprocates without communicating movement to the shuttle-box, its normal path of movement being one in which its notched or forked working end 79 cannot engage with the cross-bar 6 attached to the lower end of box-rod 6 The said actuator is under the operative Icontrol of the mechanism or devices with which the loom is furnished for ascertaining orindicating the condition ofthe working Weft-supp] y.

Various forms and arrangements of weftindicator devices are known, some thereof being operative to ascertain breakage. or exhaustion of the weft-supply in processof being woven in, and others thereof being operative when the weft-supply within the-working shuttle on the lay becomes reduced in quantity to the predetermined minimum prior to complete exhaustion thereof. It is not material to the invention which form or arrangement of weft-indicator devices or mechanism may be employed. Ordinarily in tendsizngcrosswise of the loom adjacent the breast-beam 2. As a convenient means: of determining the path along which the engaging portion of the reciprocating actuator-7 shall move thestop-rod 8 is furnished with an arm 8 extending downwardly and. rear wardlfy and having its free extremity. bent andenteredinto the. slot 78, extending length wise of actuator 7. In the normal position of theKweft-fork slide 8, arm 8 and stop-111d tionrod. 8 the'arm 8 serves to guide the actuator 7 in its movements, so that said. actuator willnot engage with the cross-bar 6 car.- riedby the. box-rod. When, however, the gooseneok engages with the. tail of the. weftfork, advancing theweft-fork slide and rockin g the stop motion rod 8 the rearward movement of arm 8 swings the actuator into line with cross-bar 6, so thatin the nextdescent of the actuator the forked or notched Working end 79 thereof engages with the said cross-bar, and thereby occasions the. depression. of the shuttle-box from the normal position of the latter into the change position.

With the object in View of obviating breakage in case the shuttle-box should be held from descending by a caught shuttle or other cause provisions are made for allowing the parts to yield. Thus the actuator is made with a separable socket or bearing for the reception of the pivotal pin 71, which connects the actuator with the lever 72. The cap 7 of the said socket or bearing is pivoted to the body or main portion of the actuator at 7*,

and the cap and body are compressed together, so as to close said socket or bearing upon the said pivotal pin by means of a spiral spring 7. The said spring is fitted upon a pin 7, projecting from the body of the actuator and passing through a hole in the cap 7, the spring being compressed between the cap and a collar 7 upon pin 7 When the shuttle-box is prevented by any'cause from being depressed by the engagement of the actuator with the cross-bar 6 of the box-rod, the cap 7 yields, allowing the pivotal pin 71 to move independently of the actuator. The lower end of the actuator works in a slot 79 in the plate 6, and thereby is guided in. its movements.

The cells of the shuttle-box are each open at one side thereof for the purpose of permitting afresh shuttle to be introduced by a transversemovement into the upper or spare cell and of permitting the working shuttle to escape or be ejected transversely from the lower or working. cell. In Fig. 3 the working shuttle is designated 9', and the reserve shuttle contained-in the spare'cell is designated 9*. A shuttle-binder is shown at.10',. Figs. 3 and 4. It is mounted in usual manner upon a pivot-pin 10, the. latter being connected with a. crossbar--10", forming part of the lay and extending across in front of theshu-ttlebox. In the normal position of the shuttlebox (shown in Fig. 3); the said binder closes the open side of the working cell of the shuttle-box and coacts with the working shuttle 9 entering the said cell. The-depression. of the shuttle-box carries the spare cell of thelatter-intopositionopposite. the binder, and the binder then closes, the open side of the'spare cell: and coacts with the shuttle in thiesaid cell. The. depression of the shuttle-box also carries the lower or working cell below. the binder, and thereby renders the shuttle 9. therein free to-be. thrown or ejected from the said lower cell.

' of the shuttle-box. By the said cam the outer end of the shuttle is borne forwardly. Preferably, also, I employ an ejector 12, Figs. 3

and 4, entering the lower cell in the depressed position of the shuttle-box and acting against the shuttle therein. This ejectoris arranged LII to act against the inner portion of the shuttle. It usually is fixed to the stand or bracket 74: or other suitable support on the loom-frame, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and as the lay swings rearward passes into the lower cell of the depressed shuttle-box, pushing theinner end of the shuttle 9 therefrom. (See Fig. 4.)

As the shuttle drops from the working cell of the shuttle-box it falls into a chute 13, Fig. 2, attached to the lower side of the shuttlebox. The bottom of the said chute is inclined, so that the shuttle slides therefrom, as at 9 Fig. 2, so as to discharge the said shuttle into a receptacle 14.

At 15 is represented a magazine for reserve shuttles. Preferably the said magazine is caused to move in unison with the lay in order to facilitate the feeding of shuttles from the said magazine and in order to afford more time for the performance of the feeding operations. Preferably, also, the said magazine is supported independently of the lay in order to relieve the lay from the burden of carrying the weight of the magazine and its con-, tents. To this latter end the end pieces 15 of the said magazine are extended upwardly above the body of the latter and are connected by a cross-rod 15 The said rod is fitted to bearings which are provided in the forked forward arm of a lever 15, the said leverbeing pivoted at 15 to a stand or bracket 15, which is attached to the loom-frame or some other fixed support. With the rear arm of the lever 15 is connected the contracting spiral spring 15. The said spring supports more or less completely the weight of the magazine and its contents and yields to accommodate the movements of the magazine as it swings in unison with the lay. In consequence of mounting the magazine to swing upon an overhead-pivotal axis 15 the movements of the upperportion of the body of the magazine are so slight as not to interfere with the introduction of shuttles into the open topv of the magazine while the loom is running. For the purpose of causing the magazine to swing in unison with the lay a rod 15 connected with the lower end of the magazine, is fitted tobearings in brackets 15 15, projecting upward from the lay. i

For the delivery of the reserve shuttles 9, which are contained within the magazine 15,

I provide escapement devices comprising, es-

sentially, a rock-shaft 16, which is mounted in bearings 16 on the lower end of the magazine and provided with one or more supports 16 to pass in beneath the bottom shuttle in arms 16 16 are caused to pass in between the bottom shuttle and the one next above the same, as shown in the said figure, thereby supporting the latter while the bottom shuttle is allowed to pass from the open mouth at the lower end of the magazine.

For the purpose of holding the escapement devices in position to retain the bottom shuttle Within the hopper, as in Fig. 3, an arm 16 on the escapement rock-shaft 16 has connected therewith one end of a contracting spiral spring 16 the other end of the said spring being connected with a portion of the magazine. In order to operate the escapement devices so asto cause them to assume the positions shown in Fig. 4 for the delivery of a shuttle, the said arm 16 is furnished with a pin 16 working in a slot 16 in a link 16, that is connected pivotally at 16 to the upper part of the shuttle-box. The descent of the shuttle-box causes the escapement rockshaft to be turned through contact of the upper end of slot 165 in link 16 with the pin 1 6 on the arm 16 of the said rock-shaft, thereby feeding the bottom shuttle from the magazine. In the rise of the shuttle box the spring 16 returns the escapement devices to their normal positions. 16 obviates tendency to breakage in case the escapement devices in returning to their normal position during the rise of the shuttlebox should become obstructed bya misplaced shuttle or other cause. I The said slot enables the link in such case to rise relative to the pin 16 on the arm 16 of the escapement rockshaft, leaving the escapement devices in what ever position they may have been forced to retain in consequence ofa shuttle being caught between the support 15. and the sh uttle-box or of any other obstruction.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the shuttle which is delivered fromthe magazineis deposited upon a support on the lay constituted. by. a shelf 17, located above the binder 10. (See Fig. 4.) The delivery takes place while the shuttle-box is in its depressed position. For the purposeof preventing the shuttle from catching upon the top of the shuttle-box in passing to the said support 17 guides 18 are provided,these guides bridging the gap between the top of the shuttle-boX and the lower end of the magazine. The said guides are herein constituted by steel strips attached to the top of the shuttle- The slot 16 in link IIO box-and projecting upwardly past the lower tally across the support 17. Aspring 21 acts upon the said pusher or injector, and when permitted to move the latter presses it rearwardly. The pusher or injector is connected, as by a strap 19, to an arm 19 upon the escapementrock-shaftlG. Whenthesaid rockshaft is operated and caused to assume the position which is represented in Fig. 4 to cause a shuttle to be fed from magazine 15 to support 17, the pusher or injector is drawn forwardly out of the path of the descending shuttle. As soon as the rock-shaft 16 is permitted to return toward its normal position the pusher or injector is released to the action of its spring, which latter presses it rearwardly against the shuttle which has been delivered to the support 17. Thereby the said shuttle is pressed rearwardly against the guides 18. As soon as the shuttle-box has risen so as to present the spare cell in position to receive the fresh shuttle the latter is pushed off the support 17 into the spare cell by the action of the pusher or injector. (See Fig. 3.) For the purpose-of preventing the shuttle while resting on support 17 from being canted or tilted upward sidewise in consequence of the friction of the guides 18 against the same one or more detents 22, Fig. 7, are attached to the rod 15 These detents permit the shuttle to descend to the support 17; but as soon as spring 21 is permitted to act the said spring operates the pusher orinjector to carry the shuttle partly under the detents, which thereupon are operative to prevent the rear side of the shuttle from rising. On the return of the shuttle-box to its normal position the pusher or injector carries the shuttle from the support 17 into the spare or feeder cell.

Fig. 5 of the drawings shows a modification in which the cam (there designated 761) by means of which the lever 72, carrying the actuator 7, is operated instead of being fast upon the cam-shaft 4 is mounted upon a separate shaft or stud 762 and is driven from the said cam-shaft at half the speed of the latter by means of gears 4 and 4 This arrangement is contemplated for use more especially in cases in which a positively-acting ejector is dispensed'with'. It causes the shuttle-box to'dwell in change position in order thereby to insure ample opportunity for the escape of the shuttle from the workingcellatthe change in the direction of the movement of the lay. In this modification the cam or eccentric 8, by means of which the gooseneck 8 is actutuated, is mounted upon the same shaft or stud 762 and rotates in unison with the cam 761. When thus driven, the cam or eccen trio 8 will operate the gooseneck only once in every four picks; but in some classes of weaving this is not particularly objectionable.

I claim as my invention 1. In aweft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, a magazine for reserve shuttles stantially as described.

moving in unison with the lay, a multiple shuttle-box also moving in unison with the lay and having a working cell and a feedercell, weft-indicator devices, mechanism under operative control of said weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to carry the working cell into discharging position and the feeder-cell into position to bring itsrcontained reserve shuttle into action and then is returned to its normal position, and means to feed a reserve shuttle from said magazine into the empty feeder-cell in the normal position of the shuttle-box, substantially as described.

2. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, a magazine for reserve shuttles supported independently of the lay and moving in unison with the latter, a multiple shuttle-box also moving in unison with the lay and having a working cell and a feeder-cell, weft-indicator devices, mechanism under operative control of said Weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to carry the working cell into discharging position and the feeder-cell into position to bring its contained reserve shuttle into action and then is returned to its normal position, and means to feed a reserve shuttle from said magazine into the empty feeder-cell in the normal position of the shuttle-box, substantially as described.

3. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, a magazine for reserve shuttles, the support upon the lay to which a reserve shuttle from said magazine is fed, the multiple shuttle-box having a working cell and a spare cell, an injector by which the reserve shuttle on the said support upon the lay is transferred from the latter to the shuttle-box, weft-indicator devices, and mechanism under operative control of said weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to effect the discharge of the working shuttle and bring the reserve shuttle into action and then is returned to normal position, substantially as described.

4. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, a magazine for reserve shuttles, the support upon the lay to which a reserve shuttle from said magazine is fed, the multiple shuttle-box having a working cell and a feeder-cell,means to transfer the reserve shuttle from said support into the empty feedercell in the normal position of the shuttle-box, weft-indicator devices, and mechanism under operative control of said weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to carry the working cell into discharging position and the feeder-cell into position to bring its contained reserve shuttle into action and then is returned to its normal position, sub- 5. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combina* tion, the lay, the magazine for reserve shuttles moving in unison with the lay, the support on the lay to which a reserve shuttle is fed from the said magazine, the multiple shuttle-box also moving in unison with the lay and having the Working cell and a spare cell, the injector by which the reserve shuttle on the; said supporton the lay is transferred from} 6. In a weft-replenishing loom in combination, the lay, the magazine for reserve shuttles moving in unison with the lay, the support on the lay to which a reserve shuttle is fed from the said magazine, the multiple shuttle-box also moving in unison with the lay and having the Working cell and the feeder-cell, the injector by which the reserve shuttle on the said support on the lay is transferred from the support to the feeder-cell, weft-indicator devices, and mechanism under operative control of said weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to carry the working cell into discharging position and the feeder-cell into position to bring its contained reserve shuttle into action and then is returned to its normal position, substantially as described.

7. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, a magazine for reserve shuttles, the support upon the lay to which a reserve shuttle from said magazine is fed, the multiple shuttle-box having a working cell and a feedercell, means to transfer the reserve shuttle from said support into the empty feeder-cell in the normal position of the shuttle-box, weft-indicator devices, mechanism under operative control of said weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to carry the working cell into discharging position and the feeder-cell into position to bring its contained reserve shuttle into action and then is returned to its normal position, and an ejector entering the Working cell in the discharging position of the latter to eject the shuttle therefrom, substantially as described.

8. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the shifting shuttle-box, means to feed a reserve shuttle to said shuttle-box, weft-indicator devices, mechanism under operative control of the said weft indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted in effecting the Weft replenishment, a deflector operating in connection with the outer tip of the shuttle to be ejected, and an ejector acting against the inner tip of the said shuttle, substantially as described.

9. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, the shifting shuttle-box, weftindicator devices, boxshifting mechanism under operative control of the said Weft-indicator devices, and a fixed ejector entering the shuttle-box in the swinging movement of the lay in the discharging position of the shuttlebox to eject the shuttle therefrom, substantially as described.

10. In a Weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, the shifting shuttle-box moving in unison with the lay, the magazine supported independently of the lay and moving in unison with the latter, the support on the lay to receive a reserve shuttle from said magazine, the means actuated from said shuttle-box for feeding a reserve shuttle from said magazine to-said support, the injector operatively connected with said feeding means and acting to transfer the reserve shuttle from said support to the shuttleboX,weft-indicator devices, and mechanism under operative control of the said weft-indicator devices whereby said shuttle-box is shifted to effect the discharge of the working shuttle and bring the reserve shuttle into action, substantially as described.

ll. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the multiple shuttle-box, the feeding means operatively connected with the said shuttle-box and actuated by the movement of the latter to feed a reserve shuttle to the shuttle-boX, the reciprocatory actuator, means to operate the same, and Weft-indicator devices whereby the said actuator is caused to operate said shuttle-box to occasion a change of shuttles, substantially as described.

12. In a weft-replenishing loom, in combination, the lay, the support on the lay for a reserve shuttle, the multiple shuttle-box, the magazine for reserve shuttles, feeding means whereby to feed a shuttle from said magazine to said support and an injector whereby to shift said shuttle from the support to the-shuttle-box, both operatively connected with said shuttle-box and actuated by the movement of the latter, the actuator, means to reciprocate said actuator, and weft indicator devices whereby the said actuator is caused to operate the shuttle-box to occasion a change of shuttles, substantially as described.

13. In a weftreplenishing loom, in combination, the lay, the magazine supported independently of the lay and swinging in unison therewith, the shifting shuttle-box, the support on the lay to receive a shuttle from the said magazine, and a shuttle-guide connected with said shuttle-box and bridging the space port on the lay to receive a shuttle from the said magazine, a shuttle-guide connected with said shuttle-box and bridging the space between the shuttle-box and the adjacent portion of the magazine, and a detent to prevent port as the shuttle-box rises, substantially as instrumentalities, substantially asdeseribed. 10 described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15. In a weft-replenishing 100m, in combiin presence of two witnesses.

canting or rocking of the shuttle on said superative control of the said shuttle-changing nation, the lay, the magazine swinging in uni- 1 HENRY I. HARRIMAN.

son with the lay, the spring-supported mount- Vitnesses: ingfor the magazine, shuttle-changinginstru- CHAS. F. RANDALL, mentalities, and weft-indicator devices in op- LEPINE HALL RICE. 

